Villagers in a central English county have reacted with fury to news that a 7,000-acre wind farm will be built across the local countryside. Residents of Nottinghamshire, famed for its association with the famous thief Robin Hood, called the proposal “monstrous” as some wind farms will be placed on active agricultural land. Local councilors say it will risk food security and destroy the rural landscape.
The Great North Road solar park proposal was put forward by energy storage developer Elements Green and will be one of Europe’s largest if it goes ahead. Conservative Member of Parliament Robert Jenrick, who represents the area, said it would affect generations to come, and unless there is radical change, he will do everything he can to oppose the application. Jenrick is a member of the ruling Conservative Party that has promised to make Britain greener and more energy-efficient.
The Conservatives, led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, have pledged to cut carbon emissions to net zero by 2050, and while he has rolled back on some specific promises and declared himself “on the side” of motorists, his party remains wedded to the transformation of society and the economy in the name of climate change.
In 2023, there were around 11,500 wind turbines in the UK on 2,604 farms, accounting for the sixth-highest capacity in the world. Despite the high number, wind produces less than a quarter of the country’s energy requirements, with oil and gas picking up the rest.
In the US, there are around 90,000 turbines spread across all 50 states. The largest wind farm is the Traverse Wind Project in Oklahoma, with 356 turbines and plans to distribute energy across three states. This farm is followed by the Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center in Texas, which has a total capacity of 735.5 megawatts.
Wind farms provided for just over 10% of America’s energy needs in 2022, but experts say this percentage is set to rise dramatically in the coming year.
